Saint-Louis blues (English version)
by Pikatchoune
Summary: When he turned 18, Neal left his family behind and never looked back. Until one day, his past catches up with him and forces him to go back to Saint-Louis. This story takes place in season 2, before Neal and Peter finds out about the U-boat. White collar doesn't belong to me.


**Author's note: **I was not planning on translating this story before finishing it in French, but since Phoenix-Gurlz kindly asked, I obliged. I hope you'll like story is betaed in French, but not in English.

To my French readers: the 5th chapter is in my Beta's hands. You'll have it as soon as she gets back to me.

Chapter 1

Zach Thornton was a teenager like many others. He was nearly 18 years old, and spent his time either at Normandy High School in Wellston, a little town right outside Saint-Louis, Missouri, or with his group of friends. Five young people in senior year who were totally inseparable. Zach knew the boys, Gordon and Duncan, since they were small kids. The girls, Lucy and Alice, joined the gang in middle school. They all dreamed of becoming reporters. That shared passion brought them to work at the High school newspaper, The Courier.

The night Zach's life was turned upside down, they worked late on the week's edition. The page layout had to be ready for the paper to be printed the next day. They walked slowly along Martin Luther King's Street, and took separate ways at the crossroad with Kienlen Avenue. Zach was the only one who had to rush to get home. Since his older brother disappeared, fifteen years earlier, his parents were nervous every time he arrived home after dark. He couldn't wait to become of age, so that he wouldn't have to obey them anymore. Fortunately for him, his friends lingered at the crossroad, heckling and laughing together. Had they left as fast as he had, Zach would have volatilized, just like Danny.

Thinking of Danny hurt deeply. He was only three when his half-brother ran away. He never understood why he had left. They were happy, the four of them. If Zach had had a chance, he would have asked some explanations, but his mother refused to talk about those events, and his father was very evasive. After all Danny was not his son, even if he loved him just the same. Zach felt that Fred, his dad, felt guilty about Danny's departure, but he never dared to ask. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Aunt Ellen could have enlightened him, but his mother's friend moved to New York after Danny's runaway. He barely remembered her. As for his brother's voice, it was forever silenced. His parents told him that he was dead a couple of years after he disappeared, one of those times when Zach asked about his whereabouts. They helped him mourn, but the questions were never answered.

When the van suddenly braked beside him, he didn't react right away. He cried out when he saw two masked men running towards him. A howl that preventing the kidnapping from succeeding. When they heard their friend's scream, Gordon and Duncan hastened to help him, while Lucy took out her phone to call the police. The two thugs seized Zach and dragged him to their vehicle, but the teenager fought back. Despite his panic, he struggled, finally breaking free from his attackers just when his friends came to his rescue. With three people against two, the muggers didn't take the chance. They shared a look and jumped in their van, which drove hastily away.

Lucy and Alice caught up with the boys just when a patrol car got on the scene. Zach was in shock. Shaking like a leaf, he was unable to answer any questions the cops asked. Duncan was the one telling the story. He also gave the policemen Mr. and Ms. Thornton address, so that they could give the young man a ride home. When they got there, Zach collapsed in his mother's arms. He was terrified and couldn't talk. The two officers summarized the events.

"Do you have the slightest idea as to who could resent you son, Ms. Thornton?"

Paige Thornton could not answer. She always knew something like that could happen, but after spending thirty years in witness protection, she truly believed her family was safe. She could feel the policemen staring at her, but she couldn't tell them the truth. The protocol was limpid. In case of a threat, she could only count on the Marshals.

"I have no idea," she finally answered.

The officer scanned her face, looking for the trace of a lie. Parents were sometimes willing to do anything to protect their kids from troubles with the police.

"We'll have to take his testimony, Madam."

"My son is in shock. He needs to rest. We'll come to the precinct tomorrow morning, with his father. Mr. Thornton is an attorney."

"Victims don't need attorney, Madam."

"I'm asking you to leave us now. As I said, we'll come tomorrow. Thanks for bringing him back. Good night."

Paige closed the door unceremoniously. She took her son in his room and helped him go to bed. She always kept sleeping pills in the bathroom. Even if the nightmares were rare since she met Fred and started a new life, she still had a hard time falling asleep from time to time. And a pill once in a while was much better than a bottle of bourbon, a medication she had taken for years. She made her son swallow the pill with a glass of water, and stayed by his side until he slept.

Questions were running through her head. Who tried to kidnap her son? Of course, the reasons why she was in witness protection were the first to come to mind, but much water had flowed under the bridge since then. If she called the Marshals, she would set in motion a huge machine that would turn their life upside down. And Zach knew nothing of his mother's past. When he was little, he was very chatty, so she didn't take the risk. Of course, she could have told him the story later, but what for? After all, he had nothing to do with all that.

Her husband Fred knew part of the story, but she never gave him the full version. He never asked any questions. He met her when she got out of rehab. He fell for a woman who was trying hard to put her life back on track for the love of her son. He was in love with the person she was then, and never tried to know who she was before that. If the Marshals decided to provide them with new lives and identities, he would follow her anywhere.

But it was not impossible that the kidnapping had nothing to do with her past. Fred was a renown criminal lawyer, and he defended a lot of felons, some of which ended up jail anyway. Maybe an unhappy client wanted revenge? Or maybe someone was coming after their money? They could pay a ransom, after all.

Her thoughts were leading her nowhere. The choice was simple. She could either take the risk to not call the Marshals and work with the police without mentioning her past, or she could turn their lives upside down. She could not decide which option was worse. And then, she remembered she was not the only one in witness protection. If someone found her, somebody else was in great danger. Somebody a lot more dangerous for the people who destroyed her previous life. Somebody who could testify about the crimes they committed. Despite the late hour, Page took her phone. Five rings later, a sleepy voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Kathryn? It' me, Paige. Well, Kristel Bennet."

She hadn't used that name in decades. It sounded weird even in her own ears.

"No one has called me Kathryn for a long time… I like Ellen better. What's going on?"

"Well, I… Something happened tonight. Someone tried to kidnap Zach. I don't know if I should call the Marshalls. I need some advice."

The news fully awakened Ellen, whose answer was a lot stronger.

"A kidnapping? Is he okay?"

"Yes, his friends saved him. He's sleeping right now. I gave him a pill." She paused for a second. "Do you think it could have anything to do with what happened so long ago?"

Ellen pondered.

"I don't think so. If anyone would attack one of us, it would be me. You're only in WITSEC because James was in danger. You're not a threat, and no one would have an interest in kidnapping a kid who has no link to your ex-husband."

Paige was relieved.

"OK. When we'll go to the precinct tomorrow, we'll keep to our present life. Thanks, Ellen."

"You're welcome. Good night. Say hi to Fred and Zach."

Once she hung up, Paige felt better. The past would stay buried.

In New York, Ellen was thoughtful. She truly believed what she said to her partner's ex-wife, but she was wondering whether she should keep the events to herself. She had always been good at keeping Neal's secrets – like the tube she kept behind a cabinet, not even trying to find out what was inside. She was not that talented when it came to hiding things from him.

WC*WC*WC

The next morning, Zach woke up in a state of exhaustion. His head hurt and he felt like he had a very bad dream. Lying on his bed at the break of dawn, he realized that it was not a nightmare. Someone really tried to kidnap him. He got up and went down to the kitchen. His father and mother sat face to face, as if they were expecting him.

"Dad? Mom? What's happening to me?"

He was pale and trembling. Paige was the one who answered.

"A patrol car drove you back yesterday. Someone tried to kidnap you. I gave you a sleeping pill. We'll go to the precinct later so you can give your statement. What do you remember?"

"I don't know… It all happened so fast. I heard screeching tires, and a van stopped at my side. I saw men getting out of it. Two, I believe, maybe more. I…"

"You'll tell the story at the precinct," his father stopped him, while staring at his wife. "It would have been better to do that yesterday, when the memory was still fresh."

"He was in shock", Paige retorted.

"Please, don't yell, I have a terrible headache. When do you want to go to the police station?"

"The sooner, the better. Go get dressed."

Zach walked back to his room like a zombie. Usually, he chose his clothes carefully. Unlike his peers, he preferred shirts over T-shirts, and often wore a tie or a bow-tie. His father sometimes made fun of him, telling him he should send him to a private school where he would be forced to wear a uniform. Zach knew it would never happen. His parents were certain that one of the reason why his brother disappeared was his education in an elite school. They would not make the same mistake twice.

This morning, he was not in the mood. He settled for a pair of jeans and an old sweater from Saint-Elisabeth Academy. He didn't realize it at the time, but he never wore that particular pullover. It was the only thing he had left from Danny. A sweater from the private catholic high school, he went to before he disappeared. As soon as he was dressed, Zach walked back to his parents, and they sat in the car.

The ride only lasted about ten minutes, during which no one spoke. Fred was the first one to enter the precinct. He explained the reason why they were there to the policeman on duty. A moment later, a detective came to take his son's statement. He stayed by his side while Paige waited in the hall.

"Good morning, I'm Detective Spencer. Why are you here?"

"I'm Fred Thornton. I'm an attorney. My son Zach was the victim of an attempted kidnapping yesterday night."

The cop raised an eyebrow.

"It happened yesterday and you only come this morning?"

"He was in shock. My wife thought it was better for him to rest before giving his statement."

Fred knew it was not the whole story. His spouse shared her fears and the phone call to New York City. He agreed with her: there was no need to destroy their kid's life as long as there was no proof that linked what happened with WITSEC.

"My wife is waiting outside. She will be able to tell you how Zach came home. She also took the name of the two policemen who drove him back. Four of my son's friends saw the scene. We'll give you their names and addresses, of course."

The detective studied his interlocutor. He hated lawyers. He also abhorred overprotective parents. He knew from experience that when kids had that kind of troubles, especially rich kids, they were not completely innocent. The teenager was probably a drug addict, or he showed off at a poker game and owed money to some bad guys. But the cop had to look concerned.

"OK, what happened, Zach?"

"I was coming home from school, it was around 11 pm."

"Eleven pm? Why so late?"

"I work for the school newspaper, The Courier. We had to finish the layout and the editing. The printing takes place today. We get out late on Tuesday. We walked back together on part of the way home."

"Together? With whom?"

"The other journalists. My friends. Duncan, Gordon, Lucy and Alice. They kept talking among themselves, but I had to hurry to go home so that my mom would not worry."

The answer surprised the detective.

"Worry? But why? You're nearly 18."

"Here we are," Fred thought, before replying instead of his son.

"It's true, Zach is nearly of age. But my wife and I are always a bit worried. His brother was also 18 when he disappeared."

"Disappeared? How?"

"He ran away, but that has nothing to do with our case, I guarantee that." The attorney was fuming.

"OK," the cop replied, while thinking he needed to check that other disappearance. He did not believe in coincidences. "And then?"

"I heard a car brake beside me."

"What kind of car?"

"A van. I don't know. Everything happened so fast."

"Color? Brand?"

"Dark. I have no idea what brand it was. The men got off the car and grabbed me."

"How many men?"

"Two. Three. I don't know. I panicked. I must have screamed, because Duncan and Gordon came running. My abusers got scared. Two. They were two. They got back in their car and drove away."

"The car started right away?"

"Yes, even before the doors were fully closed."

"They probably had a driver. We're searching for three people. What else do you remember?"

"One of the girls called the police. Alice or Lucy, I don't know. Your colleagues arrived seconds later. And then, I remember crying in my mom's arms, and waking up this morning."

"And you, Sir? You were not home?"

"No, I spent the evening with a client. When I came home, Zach was asleep. My wife told me what happened. We came as soon as he was up."

"Why not wake him up? As an attorney, you know that sooner the statement is given, clearer are the memories."

"My wife gave him a sleeping pill. Waking him up would have been useless. He would have been in no condition to testify."

Detective Spencer shook his head. A whole night was more than enough time to bury details one would not want to share with the police. Or maybe, those were really traumatized parents who had already lost a child and did not have the best reaction. He should also speak with the patrol officers. Why in hell didn't they bring the kid here and take his deposition? It was always the same with those guys in uniform. Unable to no complicate an investigation.

"Thank you. I'm going to ask your wife a couple of questions. I'll call your son's friends later today."

Fifteen minutes later, the Thornton family was back in the car, driving back home. Zach insisted to go to school, but his parents didn't let him. They thought a day of rest wouldn't be too much.


End file.
